McConnell warns of 'nuclear winter' if Democrats change Senate rules
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Democrats forcing a change to the filibuster to push through President Biden's voting rights bill would usher in a "nuclear winter," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) ominously claimed on Wednesday, ABC News reported.
"The Senate in nuclear winter would not be a hospitable place for either side ... if the majority chooses to end the filibuster, if they choose to change the rules and put an end to democratic debate, then the fighting and the bitterness and the gridlock will only get worse," McConnell said, according to The Hill.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blasted McConnell for his statement that "states are not engaging in trying to suppress voters whatsoever." Schumer called the claim McConnell's "big lie," comparable to and stemming from former President Donald Trump's baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Senate plans to vote on the rule change Wednesday evening, but it is unlikely to pass. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) have both announced their opposition to the measure, leaving Democrats with only 48 votes.
Despite not having the votes, Schumer is forging ahead. "Win, lose or draw, we are going to vote," he said. "[Republican Senators have] got to come down on the floor and defend their opposition to voting rights."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Political cartoons for February 3Cartoons Tuesday’s political cartoons include empty seats, the worst of the worst of bunnies, and more
-
Trump’s Kennedy Center closure plan draws ireSpeed Read Trump said he will close the center for two years for ‘renovations’
-
Trump's ‘weaponization czar’ demoted at DOJSpeed Read Ed Martin lost his title as assistant attorney general
-
Trump sues IRS for $10B over tax record leaksSpeed Read The president is claiming ‘reputational and financial harm’ from leaks of his tax information between 2018 and 2020
-
Trump, Senate Democrats reach DHS funding dealSpeed Read The deal will fund most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
